For some reason, despite the fact that "don't hit a woman" is quite a popular mantra in our culture, most people seem to not give two shits that Chris Brown once bludgeoned and threatened to kill his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

It was clear from that incident that Chris Brown is a very disturbed man who has serious issues and represents something that we should NOT glorify, especially as a role model for young men and boys. His career should have been over following the many, many horrifying details and photos that were released demonstrating the seriousness of that situation, but it seems that now the dust has settled and Chris Brown has emerged virtually unscathed.

He should be insanely grateful that his worst problem that emerged from this scandal is an angry Twitter remark here and there from his seemingly few haters, but no. The latest person to criticize him via Twitter, Jenny Johnson, sparked Brown's obviously rampant bad temper, causing him to verbally attack her, calling her a "bitch" and a "hoe" and other things I can't bring myself to repeat.

The whole exchange was a CLEAR AS FUCKING DAY sign that Chris Brown learned absolutely nothing about how to treat women. And his fans learned absolutely nothing about not worshiping a terrible human being. But alas, in their eyes Brown can do no wrong, hence the thousands of death threats they tweeted towards Johnson for daring to speak harsh words towards their beloved woman-beater.

Chris Brown is publicly treating women like dogs and getting away with it.

Here is the latest example: this past Tuesday, during an interview with Howard Stern, the Game, who refers to Chris Brown as "like a little brother to me," said this when asked about Brown's violence towards Rihanna:

"I feel like he made it back OK, and they're back together. What I thought of it, I just figured they were young and that was just, you know, one of those Hollywood mishaps. I don't think it'll happen again."

Oh, you know, yeah he punched a woman repeatedly and threatened to kill her, but it's totally just one of those funny Hollywood hijinx. We can all laugh about it now!

You really have got to be kidding me.

And what is that bullshit about "it won't happen again"?! Um, does he not remember Chris Brown verbally attacking a woman on Twitter last month and threatening to shit in her eye?

Yeah, he really "made it back OK."

Howard Stern was smart enough to ask the Game if he would be as forgiving towards Chris Brown if he had beaten up Game's own daughter. He didn't have an answer, which means, "Hell fucking no, he would be dead to me."

The point is that not only is violence again women alive and well (and rampant) but so are the people who are perpetuating it. And I don't just mean those who physically raise a hand to a woman, but the people who fail to hold abusers accountable for their actions. Chris Brown got away with it all because we let him. We are still glorifying and honoring him, despite the fact that he did something seemingly unforgivable. His fans threatened to murder the person who most recently dared to remind the world what he has done.

This whole ordeal has been a good indicator of how much of a problem violence against women really is... because we're not just up against the abusers, we're also up against every single person who's ready to stand by the abuser's side and defend his actions.

The doctor who stepped up after the assassination of Dr. George Tiller is now facing serious intimidation from anti-choicers, who have made her their new target.

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I saw this on Feministing, and thought it was pretty interesting. This domestic violence awareness campaign from London puts a specific emphasis on the responsibility of those who might hear or witness this type of violence to call 911 (or 999 in England) for someone who might not be able to.

They also use an interactive video to convey this message -- depending on if you "choose" (by clicking) to call the police or not, you will get a different ending to the video.

Trigger warning.

Posted on Jezebel, a charming suitcase sticker that allows you to look like you're carrying a bound and gagged woman... and for only $15!


"Disgusting" doesn't even begin to describe it. Send hate mail to info@thecheeky.com.

Wow, just when I thought Mel Gibson's existence couldn't get anymore appalling, the internet gets ahold of his latest disgustingly misogynist and racist rant. It was recorded by his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. "Horrific," "offensive," and "repulsive" are all understatements.

Here's a part of it, from AlterNet, where Gibson yells at Grigorieva for looking like a "Vegas whore." SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNING.

You go out in public and it's a fucking embarrassment to me. You look like a fucking bitch in heat. And if you get raped by a pack of niggers it will be your fault. Alright? Because you provoked it. You are provocatively dressed all the time with your fake boobs that you feel you have to show off. I don't like it. I don't want that woman. I don't want you. I don't trust you. I don't love you.

Even though this is absolutely detestable language, I'm posting this here because this is an unfortunately common sentiment today: dress like a "whore," and you're asking for it. Not too long ago, I was out at a bar with some friends, dressed in my usual jeans, boots, and a tank top with a cardigan over it. Some charming gentleman tried to hit on me, I took him I was married to get him off my back, to which he responded, "If you were my wife and you went out looking like that, I would smack you around." Nice.

The Sexist actually recently posted a really nice PSA from Scotland that dealt with this issue.



Seriously, this shouldn't be such a hard concept to grasp. Women NEVER "ask for it," and even if a woman does go out in public wearing a short dress or whatever and ends up getting raped, the fault ultimately lies with the rapist. To say otherwise is preposterous.

A new weapon that is becomingly increasingly popular amongst abusive partners: text messages. The Washington Post had a chilling update in their Breaking News blog recently, highlighting this issue. They have stories to back it up, including one about a 22 year-old who was texted and called 758 times by her boyfriend.

Text messaging is allowing abusers to keep constant tabs on their partners, and because young people are handed cell phones from the minute they emerge from the womb, it can take awhile for them to notice something wrong in receiving excessive text messages from a significant other.

This is why new trends in dating violence need to be immediately woven into the anti-dating violence already implemented in schools. And for the schools that don't have any such programs, why the hell not?!?

And I don't need to remind anyone that this is yet another reason why we still need feminism: to teach young girls that their purpose extends beyond getting the attention of dudes. People wonder why women and girls stay with abusive partners - maybe this wouldn't be the case if we were taught that we can survive without a husband.

I really, really want to see this. Stonewall Uprising is a new documentary about the infamous Stonewall riots in 1969 and how queer people were treated (or mistreated) during the time period. Here's part of the synopsis from the official website:

Told by Stonewall patrons, reporters and the cop who led the raid, Stonewall Uprising recalls the bad old days when psychoanalysts equated homosexuality with mental illness and advised aversion therapy, and even lobotomies; public service announcements warned youngsters against predatory homosexuals; and police entrapment was rampant. At the height of this oppression, the cops raid Stonewall, triggering nights of pandemonium with tear gas, billy clubs and a small army of tactical police. The rest is history.

I'm encouraging everyone to head over to AlterNet to check out a recent article, "My Boyfriend Stole My Birth Control": When Men Force Women to Get Pregnant Against Their Will.

Scary new evidence is showing that a significant number of women experience their partners trying to steal away their bodily control through "reproductive coercion," or the act of forcing a pregnancy onto someone.

In the largest study of this phenomenon to date, “Pregnancy Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy,” published in the January issue of the journal Contraception, lead researcher Elizabeth Miller and others surveyed nearly 1,300 16- to 29-year-old women who’d sought a variety of services at five different Northern California reproductive health clinics. Among those who had experienced intercourse, i.e., who could be at risk of unintended pregnancy, not only did 53 percent of respondents say they’d experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner, but one in five said they had experienced pregnancy coercion; 15 percent said they experienced birth control sabotage, including hiding or flushing birth control pills down the toilet, intentional breaking of condoms and removing contraceptive rings or patches. These figures were consistent from clinic to clinic.

Currently, this phenomenon is little-known, and the prevailing stereotype is still "the woman—call her the femme fertile—who conspires to get pregnant, perhaps by 'forgetting' to take her birth control pills, as a way to 'trap a man' and force marriage—or at least keep him in her life." But people need to know that there is another scarily common situation out there: the boyfriend or husband who, disgusted by a woman's ability to have reproductive control, goes to heinous measures to force pregnancies, abortions, or miscarriages onto his partner.

This is some seriously fucked-up stuff. Spread the word, feminists. Please.

A Turkish anti-domestic violence organization, Mor Çati, set up displays in Istanbul of cardboard women with the slogan "I want freedom... from violence" and recorded men destroying them on hidden cameras.



Hmm. Does this really show us anything about domestic abuse? Maybe it just demonstrates an overall disrespect for women and women's issues. Or maybe, as Jezebel suggests, it shows more about vandalism than violence against women. I mean... not that I'm making excuses for what these men did, but to me they just seemed irritated with cardboard legs blocking their path.

Thoughts?

This video is a little old (I just found it on the International Women's Day website), but it is something that I would not doubt is still going on in Afghanistan. It's heartbreaking, to say the least.

Warning: this video may be triggering for some.



You can visit the sites of organizations like Women for Afghan Women and the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan to learn more about the hardships of post-Taliban life, and to find out how you can help.

It's March 10th, the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. But the wonderful people who work in clinics to ensure that women have access to a safe and legal abortion deserve our appreciation every single day. Their work isn't easy, but they have many reasons to stick with it. I cannot thank them enough for being there for the women who need them.

Today also marks the anniversary of Dr. David Gunn's death in 1993. He was murdered by anti-choice activist Michael Griffin in Pensacola, Florida, becoming the first abortion provider to be killed simply because he provided abortions. And supporters of reproductive justice were greatly shaken when Dr. George Tiller was murdered last May. My heart goes out to the families and friends of Dr. Gunn, Dr. Tiller, and other abortion providers/clinic workers who have lost their lives.

There are many things you can do to honor today. A simple, but powerful, action would be to send a thank you card to your local abortion provider(s) and/or clinic workers. You can also (if you have the means) make a donation to any of several organizations that work towards reproductive justice. The National Network of Abortion Funds allows you to find a local fund for low-income women who need abortions. There's also Medical Students for Choice and Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.

Also, be sure to head over to the National Abortion Federation to add your name and thank you note to their collection.

Sign the petition here.

I just want to give all of you a heads up that posting might be sparse over the next week - I'm performing in The Vagina Monologues on my campus this weekend, and evidently have two exams next week, so I'm stretched pretty thin.

But I am super excited for The Vagina Monologues. This will be my fourth year in a row performing in them, and it's so wonderful every time. If you've never seen it before, I highly recommend you do. Granted, the show has its flaws, but overall it's a really empowering experience, and the proceeds always go to a wonderful cause. This year, the spotlight is women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Search for V-Day events near you to find a production. And if I didn't convince you to see the show, I bet the below video will.

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day dedicated to remembering those who have been killed by transphobic murderers. The very first TDOR was held on November 28th, 1998 to honor Rita Hester, a transwoman who was murdered.

You can visit the TDOR website to view a list of the countless people who were known to have been killed by anti-transgender discrimination and hatred this year. You can also find an event near you if you would like to do something to honor this day... maybe attend a candlelight vigil or a meeting to discuss trans rights.

But you can also engage in small personal actions if you cannot attend an event, whether it be bringing up trans issues with people you know, or creating a pro-transgender Facebook status or Twitter update. What is everyone doing to honor those who have been killed by hatred?

This is horrifying.

In California, a 15-year-old girl was beaten and gang-raped outside her high school homecoming dance for two hours on Friday night.

According to police, there were as many as a dozen people watching this happen... and instead of calling the police, they laughed, took pictures, and joined in.

Honestly, what kind of sick person do you have to be to watch something like this happen and not do a damn thing about it?

Thankfully, police were finally called after a female student overhead people talking about the rape. Police found the teenage girl semi-conscious near a picnic table, and now the survivor is in the hospital with injuries, though none are life-threatening. Two suspects were taken into custody, but as many as five other men are said to have attacked her.

What an utter nightmare. In combating rape and sexual assault, we tend to forget to educate people not only against sexually assaulting other people and against walking alone at night, but also to educate anyone who might witness a crime like this to call 911 immediately.

This is no excuse for witnessing something like this and doing nothing but laugh and snap photos. I sincerely hope the police not only prosecute the rapist assholes, but also the people who did nothing.

• Check out The New York Times' "Women at Arms" series, which "explores how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have profoundly redefined the role of women in the military."


• In the Philippines, where abortion is illegal and 70% of the population cannot afford birth control, reproductive rights advocates are pushing for legislation that would require the government to provide free or low-cost reproductive services. However, these efforts are meeting harsh resistance.


• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Wednesday restoring the $16.3 million in funds for domestic violence shelters that he originally cut from the state's budget in July.


• In Saudi Arabia, a female journalist has been sentenced to 60 lashes for being involved with a TV show that discussed sex.


• The US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing Wednesday to examine the violence perpetuated against women in foreign countries. Our goal is achieve re-introduction of the International Violence Against Women Act.


• Personhood Nevada filed a ballot initiative in the state to pass a law that would define a fetus as a human being. If passed, this law would threaten abortion rights, as well as IUDs, emergency contraception, in vitro fertilization clinics, and stem cell research.


• An article on MSNBC.com warns that certain menopause remedies that are becoming popular, such as hormone therapies, may contain dangerous side-effects.


• With the Barbie doll losing popularity, Mattel is giving her a makeover in hopes to revive the historic toy. It's pretty horrific... let the short short dresses and copious amounts of makeup speak for themselves.


• Michelle Obama has been active recently in Breast Cancer awareness.

A horrifying video has been released showing surveillance footage of a 49 year-old gay man, Jack Price, being brutally beaten by two men who yelled anti-gay slurs. Price was attacked in Queens, right after he left a deli near his home. This news coverage shows clips of the surveillance video but I want to stress a MAJOR WARNING before you watch this; it is very disturbing.

 
Price suffered a broken jaw, fractured ribs, a lacerated spleen, and the collapse of both of his lungs. Police have two suspects in custody.

In light of this event, why not contact your representatives and urge them to support hate crime legislation? Also, the Human Rights Campaign is attempting to raise $200,000 to pass gay rights bills, including hate crime laws. And if you can, consider donating to the Matthew Shepard Foundation in honor of Jack Price.

And let's hope and pray for Jack's speedy recovery.

This video seems to be making its rounds in the blogosphere on what has been deemed as "Columbus Day," a day to honor a man who deserves no honoring.



It is time to reconsider Columbus Day.

Teachers who are struggling with how to address Columbus Day in the classroom can order a guide from RethinkingSchools.com. Or, if you're simply a concerned citizen who is sick of being forced to celebrate a man who committed heinous crimes, you can sign this online petition calling for a holiday to honor Native Americans instead of Columbus. You can also sign the petition calling for the abandonment of plans to build a Columbus monument in Puerto Rico.

We know all too well the infamous "preexisting condition" debacle when it comes to health care coverage, which Obama's plan seeks to destroy. We hear horror stories of people being denied coverage for the most ridiculous of reasons, such as a woman with breast cancer who needed a mastectomy but was ultimately denied by her health care provider because she forgot to cite a case of acne.

It happens every day.

But... domestic violence as a "preexisting condition"? It's true. Women in Washington D.C., Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming are being denied health care coverage because they have been targets of abuse in the past.

This policy blatantly punishes women for the actions of their partners; actions which they had little or no control over. It truly confirms my belief that insurance companies lack hearts when they further complicate the lives of cancer patients, the elderly, and now domestic violence survivors.

Health care reform NOW. Seriously. I'm tired of this shit.

I want to send my condolences to the family of the anti-abortion activist, Jim Pouillon, who was gunned down outside a high school, as well as to the family of the business owner who was killed shortly after by the same man. Luckily, the murderer's third target was able to flee.

However tragic these deaths are, I want to take a minute to acknowledge that the death of the anti-choice activist is by no means relatable to the death of abortion provider Dr. Tiller.

While I am sure that anti-choice groups will attempt to use this to show that they are the "oppressed victims" as well, I refuse to admit that there is any kernel of truth in that. As Lauren of Choice Words points out, there are significant differences between the two murderers, namely the fact that Scott Roeder, the fellow who killed Dr. Tiller, was a known anti-abortion activist, a staunch and devout anti-choicer, whereas Harlan Drake, the killer of the anti-abortion protester, is not known to be a pro-choice activist and has not expressed any sort of pro-abortion rights sentiments, except to say that he "didn't like" the protester's graphic signs depicting late-term abortions.

HUGE difference.